faith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Fleft, and your Sons and your DAUGHTERS fhall prophefie, and your Young Men fhall fee Vifions, and your Old Men fhall dream Dreams. And on my Servants, and on my HANDMAIDENS, I will pour out in thofe Days of my Spirit, and they shall prophefie.

IN Joel's Prophefy we fee Daughters and Handmaidens are spoke of; and if there had not been Women at that Time who receiv'd the Pouring out of the Spirit, his Prophecy could not have been aptly cited: But Peter's citing that Prophecy, faying, This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel, does plainly fhow that Joel's Prophecy was then fulfill'd, and confequently there were WoMEN at that Time who receiv'd the Pouring out of the Spirit as well as the Men.

AND it plainly appears by Scripture, that WOMEN receiv'd the Gift of Prophecy after the Time of Pentecoft, for 'tis faid, thar Philip the Acts 21.9. Evangelift had four Daughters which did prophefie. And,

By the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, it is very evident, that the Gifts of the Spirit were given to the Church of Corinth, and that Women prophefied in the Congregation as well as Men,

for

of all Things. Before the Spirit was given in leffer Measures, and comparatively but by Drops; here a little, and there a little; Now more largely, even to overflow.

And on my Servants and on my Handmaidens. To fhew what all ought to be, that hope for to receive any Benefit or Comfort from the Promifes of God, either in the Law or Gof. pel, the Old or New Testament; viz. fuch as seek and serve God; but to the Disobedient and Unbelieving, there is not a • comfortable Word in all the Book of God. Some read without the Pronoun, on Servants and Handmaidens; to fhew that ⚫God doth not defpife Men of the lowest Rank and Condition in the World, but that the Promife of the Spirit is made unto • them also.

for the Apostle takes Notice of a Woman's Praying and Prophefying with her Head uncover'd, as he does of the Man's being cover'd, which implies that the Actions of Praying and Prophefying were perform'd in Publick by the Women as well as the Men. And from the Apostle's own Words we shall make it appear, that the Action of Prophefying was Preaching by the immediate Influence and Moving of the Holy Spirit, and also that the Apoftle prefer'd the Gift of Prophecy to the miraculous Gift of Tongues, on Account of its greater Service in the Church.

Follow, faith he, after Charity and defire Spiritual Gifts, but rather that ye may Prophefy, t for he that Speaketh in an unknown Tongue, Speaketh not unto Men but unto God: For no Man underftandeth him, bowbeit in the Spirit he speaketh Myste

Q2

ries,

* Prophecy, fays M. Poole (on 1 Cor. xii. 10.) in the General fignifieth the Revelation of the Will of God, whether by the Foretelling future Contingencies, or opening the Scriptures by Preaching or Teaching.

+ Defire Spiritual Gifts, but rather that ye may Prophofie. Pool's Annot. But rather or principally, that you may be able to Reveal the Mind and Will of God unto others. Some think by foretelling Things to come; but this is not very probable; fuch an Ability of Prophefying being given but to very few under the New-Teftament: It is therefore more probable, that he speaketh of an Ability to open the Scriptures, either by immediate Revelation (as to which they could ufe no Means but Prayer and an Holy Life) or by ordinary Meditation and Study of Scriptures. For tho' the former Species of Prophefying, by Prediction of future Things, when the Truth of it was juftified by fuch Prophecies Accomplishment, was of great Ufe to confirm the Doctrine of the Gospel; 3 yet the Latter was of greater and more general use for the Good of others, which makes the Apoftle put them upon she • Coveting and earneft Defire of that Faculty or Ability; because of all others, it made them moft eminently and gene rally useful to others, as well thofe within the Church as shofe without; and thus the Apoftle expoundeth himself, ver.3.

८

6

1 Cor.14.

I.

2.

ries. But he that Prophefieth, Speaketh unto Men to Edification, and Exhortation and Comfort. He that fpeaketh in an unknown Tongue, edifieth bimfelf, but he that Prophefieth, edifieth the Church, I would that ye all spake with Tongues, but rather that ye Prophefied; for greater is he that Prophefieth, than he that speaketh with Tongues, except he interpret, that the Church may receive Edifying. Now Brethren, if I come unto you speaking with Tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by Revelation, or by Knowledge, or by Prophecy, or by Doctrine.

THESE Words fhow how much the Apostle prefer'd Prophefy even above the miraculous Gift of Tongues, and tho' he defir'd that All the Corinthians might speak with Tongues, yet rather that they prophefied. Now this Prophefying which the Apostle recommended as the most defirable of all spiritual Gifts, was Preaching by the immediate Influence and Moving of the Holy Spirit, for it was a Gift of the Spirit, and according to his own Explication, it was fpeaking to the Edificati

от

That Prophesy was a Gift of the Spirit plainly appears from these Words of the Apoftle 1 Cor. xii 8. For to One is given by the Spirit, the Word of Wisdom; to another the Word of Knowledge by the fame Spirit; to another Faith by the fame Spirit; to another the Gift of Healing by the fame Spiri; to another the working of Miracles, to another PROPHECY, to another the difcerning of Spirits; to another divers Kinds of Tongues; to another the Interpreta tion of Tongues: But all these worketh that one and the felf fame Spirit, dividing to every Man feverally as he will.

Upon thefe Words of the Apostle, the fagacious John Lock remarks. Prophecy comprehends thefe three Things, Pre⚫diction, Singing by the Dictate of the Spirit, and underftanding and explaining the myfterious hidden Senfe of Scripture, by an immediate Illumination and Motion of the Spirit,

on, Exhortation and Comfort of the Hearers, and what better Definition can any give of Preaching?

AND fince the Apostle declar'd to the Corinthians, that he would they might All speak with Tongues, but rather that they Prophefied, it neceffarily follows that he defir'd they might all Preach or fpeak to Edification, Exhortation and Comfort. Now the Word All, takes in the whole Church he was writing to, and we believe it will be readily granted that there were Women in that Church as well as Men, from hence we infer, the Apostle defir'd that the Women might Prophefy or Preach as well as the Men. And,

THAT there were Women in the Church of Corinth, that did both pray and prophefy, we prove from thefe Words of the Apostle. Every Man praying and prophefying having bis Head cover'd, difhonoureth his Head. Every Woman that prayeth or prophefieth with her Head uncover'd, difbonoureth her Head, for that is all one as if he were fhaven. The Notice which the Apostle here takes of the Man's praying or prophefying with his Head cover'd ; and the Woman's with her Head uncover'd, does plainly bespeak that those Actions were perform'd in Publick; and whatever the Actions of Praying and Prohpefying fignifie, they must have the fame Meaning when apply'd to the Woman as to the Man: But we have shown from Q 3 the

I

I Cor. 11'

4, 5.

* Pool's Annotations. Tho' the Woman 1 Tim. 2. 12. be ⚫ forbidden to Teach, and commanded to be in Silence; yet that Text must be understood of ordinary Women, and in ordinary Cafes, not concerning fuch as prophefied from an Extraordinary Impulfe or Motion of the Spirit. We read of • Women Propheteffes both in the Old and New Teftament, fuch was Huldah in Fofiah's Time, and Anna, of whom we read Luke 2. 36. and we read that Philip had Four Daug bters that did prophefie. Acts 21.9.

the Apostle's own Words, that the Action of Prophefying was Preaching, or which is all one, fpeaking to Men to Edification, Exhortation and Comfort, it therefore neceffarily follows, that Women perform'd the Actions of Praying and Preaching in Publick as well as the Men. But,

STILL to make this more evidently appear, we fhall give the Reader the Notes of John Lock, who has fhown great Sagacity and Impartiality in his Expofition of thofe Words of the Apostle.

THIS about Women feeming as difficult a Paffage as moft in St. Paul's Epiftles, I crave Leave to premise fome few Confiderations which I hope may conduce to the clearing of it.

1. IT is to be obferved, that it was the Custom for Women who appeared in Publick, to be vail• ed Ver. 13 16. Therefore it could be no Question at all, whether they ought to be vailed when they affifted at the Prayers and Praises in the publick Aflemblies; or if that were the Thing intended by the Apostle, it had been much eafier, fhorter and plainer for him to have faid, that Women fhould be cover'd in the Af• femblies.

.

2. Ir is plain that this covering the Head in Women, is reftrained to fome particular Actions which they performed in the Affembly, expreffed by the Words, Praying and Prophefying ⚫ verf. 4, and 5. which, whatever they fignify must have the fame Meaning, when applied to ⚫ the Women in the 5th Verfe, that they have when applied to the Men in the 4th Verfe.

IT will poffibly be objected, if Women were to be vailed in the Affemblies, let thofe Actions be what they will, the Women joining in them. were ftill to be vailed.

ANSW.